ATA Show 2017: Shooting the New Ravin Crossbow

The number of new products being introduced at the 2017 ATA (Archery Trade Association) Show in Indianapolis, Indiana, is staggering. And while taking it all in is a bit overwhelming, there was one product that stopped me in my tracks . . . and confession time . . . caused me to be 15 minutes late for a scheduled meeting.

Check this out: A new company called Ravin Crossbows out of Superior, Wisconsin, unveiled two new crossbows at this year’s ATA Show, the R9 and R15. Like many of today’s top-of-the-line crossbows, these models are packed with features, but I want to draw your attention to three in particular.

Because I first saw these crossbows on a display table in the ATA’s new product section, I immediately walked over to the shooting lanes. After a Ravin Crossbows staffer gave me a 1-minute overview of the bow’s design, I prepared to shoot the R15. I slipped off the safety and it made NO noise. I slid it back to the “on” position and it made a distinct click. I again slid it to the “off” position and it was totally silent. I looked up from the bow at the Ravin rep and he smiled and said, “I can tell you have experience deer hunting with crossbows; a lot of guys don’t notice that feature. We made the safety perfectly silent when you get ready to shoot so you don’t alert nearby animals.”

Ravin Crossbows drew a lot of attention at the 2017 ATA Show.

This is NOT a misprint: The axle-to-axle measurement on these cocked bows... Read More

Dave Maas

Some People are Boycotting L.L.Bean For Trump Support

L.L.Bean is a family-owned business that began back in 1912. The company has long been inspiring people to live life outdoors. For the last 105 years, L.L.Bean has been singularly focused on offering high-quality, satisfaction-guaranteed products and outstanding customer service.

So why are we talking about L.L.Bean?

The distinguished outdoor brand has found itself in the center of some scrutiny lately, since Linda Bean, one of 50-plus family members with ties to the business, donated a large sum of money ($60,000) to the Making America Great Again LLC, in support of President-elect Donald Trump.

After hearing about this, Grab Your Wallet, a group that bands people together to boycott companies that “do business with the Trump family,” added L.L.Bean to their “never again” list.

Now, L.L.Bean is left scrambling, calling the boycott against its company “misguided.”

L.L.Bean’s Executive Chairman, Shawn Gorman, penned a lengthy message, which was posted on the company’s Facebook, to try and clear things up. Gorman first wants everyone to realize that Linda Bean is “only one of 50-plus family members involved with the business.” They are adamant that the political views of one single member of the company don’t reflect on the company itself. “L.L.Bean does not endorse political candidates, take positions on political matters, or make political contributions,” Gorman wrote.

The post goes on to explain the company’s love and support... Read More

OutdoorHub Reporters

The OutdoorHub Reporters are a team of talented journalists and outdoorsmen and women who work around the clock to follow and report on the biggest stories in the outdoors.
Areas of Expertise: Reporting on all the breaking news in the outdoor industry

ATA 2017: Odor Control in the Palm of Your Hands?

As the title above states, a company is claiming to control human odor and do so with a compact device that fits in the palm of your hand.

Is this possible? Well, if anyone can make it happen, that company is Scentlok . . . a brand with its roots firmly planted in odor control.

Scentlok Enforcer on display at the 2017 ATA Show.

Here’s the scoop: Scentlok Enforcer is the smallest personal ozone generator on the market today. We spotted it earlier this week at the 2017 ATA (archery) Show in Indianapolis, Indiana, and wanted to share its story.

Text on the website makes the following claim:

We have engineered the most versatile ozone generator and another innovative and effective solution to help assist you in managing unwanted odors! The ENFORCER’s quiet fan produces the correct amount of ozone, which seeks out and virtually destroys odor molecules and bacteria that gets in its path. Ideal for use in enclosed areas such as totes, hockey and athletic gear, tents, closets, bedrooms and much more. The SCENTLOK ENFORCER also helps to re-activate carbon alloy extending the field life of your SCENTLOK carbon clothing.

UNLEASH the SCENTLOK ENFORCER for all of your odor control needs. The personal ozone generator is small enough to fit in your pocket or purse, is rechargeable with up to 8-hours of battery life, and can go anywhere you go. 1-hour and 3-hour operating mode allows you to apply the right amount of ozone depending on the... Read More

Outdoor Hub Staff

The Outdoor Hub staff are here to help you understand the benefits of using the new Outdoor Hub Connect widget syndication service.
Areas of Expertise: Everything in the outdoor industry

This Big Buck Costs Tennessee Man Big Bucks!

On Thanksgiving morning around 8:20 a.m., Clarence Robertson, age 63, from New Market, Tennessee, shot an 11-point buck from his driveway and across Piedmont Rd. The buck was standing in a hayfield where Robertson didn’t have permission to hunt. He then drove his truck into the field to retrieve the deer.

According to a post on TWRA’s Facebook, Jefferson Co. Wildlife Officer Wayne Rich seized the buck, and TWRA Wildlife Biologist Sterling Daniels measured the antlers, giving it a gross score of 143 6/8 inches. Nice buck! Although, Robertson would soon be wishing the deer wasn’t such a large trophy.

You see, the total score of the antlers didn’t come in to play, however, the number of antler points did.

Recently amended legislation in TCA 70-4-116 allows for a judge to impose enhanced restitution fees for illegally killed or possessed trophy deer, and the more antler points on the rack, the higher the cost. That’s bad news for Robertson, seeing as he shot himself an 11-point buck, but there’s more.

Check These Out

fishing

shooting

OutdoorHub Reporters

The OutdoorHub Reporters are a team of talented journalists and outdoorsmen and women who work around the clock to follow and report on the biggest stories in the outdoors.
Areas of Expertise: Reporting on all the breaking news in the outdoor industry

New Bill Introduced in Congress Aims Abolish the ATF

As of now, the bill has only just been introduced to the House. We will definitely be keeping a close eye on this though, as any shakeup of functions or duties of the ATF could potentially be very big news.

OutdoorHub Reporters

The OutdoorHub Reporters are a team of talented journalists and outdoorsmen and women who work around the clock to follow and report on the biggest stories in the outdoors.
Areas of Expertise: Reporting on all the breaking news in the outdoor industry

Decapitations And Dirty Politics Abound In ‘Empire’s Season Two Premiere

FOX

The potency of Empire‘s elixir is evidentÂ in the concentrated dose offered by theÂ openingÂ of the show’s second-season premiere. At a “Free Lucious” concert held by the Lyon family, Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) descends from the heavens, lowered onto the stage in a cage while wearing a full-body gorilla costume as King Kong-like music blares over the crowd. (I’m not making this up.) She proceeds to rip off the mask toÂ launch intoÂ a tirade condemning the imprisonment of Lucious, as well as the imprisonment of other black males. It’s a madcap moment, but it’s indicative of Danny Strong and Lee Daniels’ ability to make the ridiculous rhythmic.

The season two opener takes place several months after the events of the season one finale, which sawÂ Lucious (Terrence Howard) apprehended for the murder of Bunkie (Antoine McKay). We learned then that the key witness in the case was Vernon (Malik Yoba), but with Vernon now dead, it’s only a matter of time before the head Lyon gets set free. In any case, Lucious is floundering in prison, Jamal (Jussie Smollett) is dealing with the stress of running the Empire company, and Cookie, Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray), Anika (Grace Gealey), and Andre (Trai Byers) are placing their chess pieces into position for the hostile takeover they began plotting last season. The major piece in that game is Mimi Whiteman, played by new addition Marisa Tomei. Whiteman controls the purse strings on a... Read More

Dariel Figueroa

Senior Contributor And Features WriterDariel Figueroa is a writer and multimedia junkie who lives vicariously through the circa-1940s jazz musician sock puppets his great aunt routinely entertains him with.

The ‘Black-ish’ Premiere Joined A Tradition Of Shows That Grappled With ‘The N-Word’

ABC

On the season premiere of ABC’s Emmy-nominated black-ish, which returned last night for a second season, the Johnson’s youngest son Jack (Miles Brown) is expelled from school for saying the n-word while innocently rapping Kanye West’s “Gold Digger.” There’s a zero-tolerance policy, and even though Jack doesn’t say it in a hateful way, or even call someone else the n-word, he still gets in trouble.

His dad Dre (Anthony Anderson) asks his black co-workers why they say “THE word,” to quote the episode’s title. One responds it’s a “great rhyming word,” and the other only thinks it’s fine to use because he’s a spineless suck-up; if his boss Dre finds nothing wrong with a black person using it, then he doesn’t, either. And vice versa. Dre grows more and more confused, especially after talking to the school’s strict black principal. Can anyone say it?

All in the Family

Archie Bunker freely used the derogatory term “coons,” but he didn’t say the n-word until season eight’s “Two’s a Crowd,” a superb exploration of where racism comes from. For Archie, it was passed on from his abusive father, who freely called black people the n-word, so he does, too. At least until he gets beaten up by a black student at school. “Did you ever possibly stop to think that... Read More

The 2000 filmÂ China Strike Force, from Hong Kong director Stanley Tong (Super Cop,Â Rumble in the Bronx),Â won my heart forever before I even watched a frame. It was a two-step process.

Step one: While spelunking in the deep, deep Netflix action movies archive one night, I spotted its box cover, which features a) the title; b) a picture of Mark Dacascos, best known as one of the stars of the live-action Double Dragon movie and the host of Iron Chef America; and c) a picture of Coolio. Color me intrigued. Color me very intrigued.

Step two: I rushed to Google — like, immediately — to find out more about the movie, where I was greeted with this description (emphasis mine):

Shanghai police Detectives Alex Cheung (Lee-Hom Wang) and Darren Tong (Aaron Kwok) stumble onto the massive cocaine smuggling operation of crime boss Tony Lau (Mark Dacascos) and attempt to take down Coolio (Coolio), the American dealer in his employ who is responsible for bringing the drugs into China. In the midst of the criminal activity, Alex gets engaged to the daughter of his superior, Sheriff Lin (Paul Chun), which adds personal tensions to an already heated case.

Did you catch the little slice of magic in there? China Strike Force is a movie that stars Coolio as a drug smuggler named Coolio. I have been thinking about this basically non-stop since I read it, and I have come to the conclusion that the only way it could be better is if... Read More

Danger Guerrero

Five Movies We Are Looking Forward To Seeing At The New York Film Festival

Universal

This weekend, the 53rd New York Film Festival kicks off with the premiere of The Walk, the Robert Zemeckis-directed story of Philippe Petitâs (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) famous 1974 high-wire walk between the north and south towers of the World Trade Center. The festival — which spans from September 25 through October 11 â will feature many premieres, as well as notable films that premiered at other festivals, that will all factor into this yearâs Oscar race. So, with that, here are five huge films weâre looking forward to at this yearâs New York Film Festival.

The Walk

Sony

As previously mentioned, The Walk is the festivalâs opening night film, concluding with New York Film Festivalâs opening night party, which is always a tough ticket. The Walk is only Robert Zemeckisâ second live action film since way back to his 2000 hit, Cast Away. And once again, along with Flight, Zemeckis tries to scare the living piss out of anyone who has a fear of heights — this time by telling the story of Philippe Petitâs very illegal 1974 high-wire act between the two World Trade Center towers. As a fan of Man on Wire, it will be interesting to see how Zemeckis makes this remarkable event into a full-length narrative film.

Bridge of Spies

Disney

Steven Spielbergâs first film since 2012âs Lincoln will make its debut at the New York Film Festival. What was forever known as Steven Spielbergâs Untitled Cold... Read More

Mike Ryan

There’s No Reason We Couldn’t Have Let Jason Statham Play Steve Jobs

I’m sure Michael Fassbender will be fine as Steve Jobs. He’s got the piercing eyes, and the gravitas, and a talented director in Danny Boyle guiding the performance, and really everything else you could ever want to take on the role of the visionary, mercurial Apple founder. And he looks great in a black turtleneck and glasses. He’ll be fine. He’ll be fine.

But I wouldn’t be doing my job as a pop-culture critic if I didn’t bring something to your attention here. There’s really no reason we couldn’t have let Jason Statham play Steve Jobs.

Like, that was an option. Before any of the roles were cast, when the whole movie was nothing but words on the page, someone could have sent the script to Jason Statham and offered him the role. Everything else could have stayed exactly the same. Watch this trailer and imagine all of the Sorkin-scribed words being said by Jason Statham — in his regular voice, making no attempt to do an American accent — instead of Michael Fassbender, and then try to tell me you wouldn’t watch that movie.

“Oi sat in GAR-age an’ infented the future.” Oscars here we come.

But maybe you’re still skeptical. Maybe you’ve seen the trailers and now have your heart fully set on Fassbender in the Sorkin/Boyle version of the movie. Maybe you read my idea and said “Interesting, but I’ll pass.” That’s fine, too. You’re wrong, but it’s fine. It was just an exercise in hypotheticals anyway, as the movie’s been shot and... Read More

Danger Guerrero

Ditch Facebook And Make Yourself Smarter With These 10 Hottest Learning Sites

The average person spends nearly two hours every day on social media.[1] Think about it, what will we achieve when we spend these two hours on something else? Let’s say, study a new language? Or pick up a skill? Below are 10 best websites other than social media that can make you smarter and largely improve your life.

Each time you visit this site, it generates a new video for you to watch and become smarter. Try to watch the whole video even if the topic doesn’t seem to be interesting to you. By learning more about unfamiliar topics you’re enlarging your comfort zone and widening your perspective.

Investment and finance seem to be really difficult topics? Even if we like it or not, finance does affect our every aspect of life. Learn more about it from the team of data scientists and financial experts on the site.

If You Understand These 2 Important Principles Of Love, Your Relationships Will Be Much Better

When you feel like having a bad day or just having some down time because of the stressful work, some annoying people, or the bad weather; you don’t always want to talk with people about how you feel. You’d probably prefer chilling on your own with some music playing, particularly some songs that would make you smile, right?

As a music lover, I love listening to and playing different kinds of music. Recently I’ve researched on the funniest songs on YouTube and Spotify and have shortlisted 47 funny and upbeat songs that will surely cheer you up! The list of songs ranged from the 70s, 80s and 90s hits to recent pop songs, you’ll definitely find positive vibes from one of them.

Just sing along when you’re feeling down. Some of the music videos are quite funny too! (By the way, if you love these songs, I’ve got you the complete playlist at the end!)

4. Dragostea Din Tei – O-Zone

47 All-Time Funniest Songs To Cheer You Up

When you feel like having a bad day or just having some down time because of the stressful work, some annoying people, or the bad weather; you don’t always want to talk with people about how you feel. You’d probably prefer chilling on your own with some music playing, particularly some songs that would make you smile, right?

As a music lover, I love listening to and playing different kinds of music. Recently I’ve researched on the funniest songs on YouTube and Spotify and have shortlisted 47 funny and upbeat songs that will surely cheer you up! The list of songs ranged from the 70s, 80s and 90s hits to recent pop songs, you’ll definitely find positive vibes from one of them.

Just sing along when you’re feeling down. Some of the music videos are quite funny too! (By the way, if you love these songs, I’ve got you the complete playlist at the end!)

4. Dragostea Din Tei – O-Zone

Are You More Intelligent Than Average? Take This Cambridge Online Test

“Winners never quit, quitters never win.” Growing up, we are taught to be persistent; society tells us the path to success is to persevere, quitting is never an option. In reality, quitting happens more often than we think. Sometimes, it could even be a beneficial move. Before diving into the positives, let’s define what quitting really means.

Quitting simply means leaving or getting rid of something. Unfortunately, our norms greatly contribute to the negative connotation of this word. Believe it or not, quitting actually helps a person to make progress and positive changes in life.

We all have been there, we hated something so much and could not take it anymore. Would you quit to make yourself happier or carry on because you thought this is the best path to success? If you don’t love what you are doing, or you have already lost your passion, quit it. There are a lot of hidden gems out there, invest your time and interest in something else, maybe you will find a stepping stone to lead you somewhere else.

Sometimes, by quitting, we seize the moment.

Opportunities come and go. When we see something that interests us, telling ourselves to go for it is rarely the first response. We tend to look at the constraints and convince ourselves not to quit what we are currently doing. But why not take a leap of faith and allow yourself to make a breakthrough in life?

By quitting, we make changes.

100 Inspiring Relationship Quotes That You Shouldn't Miss

“Winners never quit, quitters never win.” Growing up, we are taught to be persistent; society tells us the path to success is to persevere, quitting is never an option. In reality, quitting happens more often than we think. Sometimes, it could even be a beneficial move. Before diving into the positives, let’s define what quitting really means.

Quitting simply means leaving or getting rid of something. Unfortunately, our norms greatly contribute to the negative connotation of this word. Believe it or not, quitting actually helps a person to make progress and positive changes in life.

We all have been there, we hated something so much and could not take it anymore. Would you quit to make yourself happier or carry on because you thought this is the best path to success? If you don’t love what you are doing, or you have already lost your passion, quit it. There are a lot of hidden gems out there, invest your time and interest in something else, maybe you will find a stepping stone to lead you somewhere else.

Sometimes, by quitting, we seize the moment.

Opportunities come and go. When we see something that interests us, telling ourselves to go for it is rarely the first response. We tend to look at the constraints and convince ourselves not to quit what we are currently doing. But why not take a leap of faith and allow yourself to make a breakthrough in life?

Jay Shelton

14 of the Best Bucket List Adventures from Our Readers

Your resolution for 2016: spend more time outside. We asked Outside readers for Instagram shots of their most memorable trips and activities in 2015—tagged #OutsideBucketList—and we weren’t disappointed. From scuba diving between continental plates and river surfing in Germany to climbing one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, the outdoor community spent the year going on epic adventures and documenting the evidence. Here are 14 of our favorites, and we highly recommend adding them to your 2016 Bucket List.

Nicola Payne

XFX Radeon R7 260X Video Card down to $75 this Week in Deals

We wouldn’t say the Radeon R7 260x graphics card is the end all be all for gaming – far from it – but it’s way better than an integrated GPU, and today’s dirt cheap. We found an XFX Radeon R7 260X card for $75 via Best Buy’s eBay storefront. You’d pay at least $40 more anywhere else.

For the price of a base model iPad Air 2 Retina, you can snag an iPad Air 2 Retina 64GB today from a reputable eBay seller. Open Box but effectively New condition – not a bad way to save.

OTHER AWESOME DEALS

Viet Do

Viet works at Dealzon.com, a deal site for techies and gamers. Run by geeks across the U.S. with an unhealthy obsession for pizza and coffee. Dealzon tracks daily prices on laptops, video games, and HDTVs. At Dealzon, we find the deals so you don't have to.

Microsoft Surface Book: The MacBook Killer in Waiting

Everyone expected Microsoft to say something about the Surface 4 in its early October event…but few were expecting an entirely new machine as well. That, however, is what we got with the Surface Book laptop, a new model that Microsoft is aiming squarely at MacBooks and similar lightweight, often professional computers.

The Surface Book isn’t exactly a laptop – the top can be folded around and detached completely to work on its own as a tablet. But this hybrid functionality aside, when the keyboard and screen are together it really does look like a laptop.

The screen is a 135-inch display, RAM is provided up to 16GB GDDR5, and there’s a sixth-gen Intel processor inside too. Microsoft claimed that the Book could be about twice as fast as a MacBook at its conference.

In addition to the extra-flexible screen, the Book is also made to be used with the Surface Stylus, if the many press photos are any indication. Microsoft seems to be appealing to a wide range of users here, from business professionals to designers,... Read More

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Tyler Lacoma

When he isn't enjoying the beautiful Northwest outdoors, you can find Tyler on business and tech sites, writing about the latest news, analyzing trends, and generally making the Internet a more interesting place.

Roku 4 Offers 4K, New Menus, Private Listening, and More

Hot on the heels of announcements about the new Apple TV, the shiny TiVo Bolt, Fire TV, and the updated Chromecast, Roku has thrown its hat into the ring with the Roku 4. Like the other new entrants, the Roku 4 works hard to bring some new features to the table, but offers a very familiar core package.

Let’s talk about those new features. First off the bat, there’s a whole lot of support for 4K and 4K video content, including 4K labels so you can quickly tell what content is in ultra HD, and what Roku is claiming to be more 4K channels at launch than its competitors.

The interface, through which you can brows 300,000 movies and TV episodes on more than 3,000 channels, has also received an update. Controls for apps like Netflix and other types of browsing have been streamlined as well. There’s also an increased focus on voice search, so you don’t have to mess around with the remote to search for a particular show.

Speaking of that remote, it comes with a few unique features of its own. First, there’s a little... Read More

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Tyler Lacoma

When he isn't enjoying the beautiful Northwest outdoors, you can find Tyler on business and tech sites, writing about the latest news, analyzing trends, and generally making the Internet a more interesting place.

Living Level-3: Iraq -- Chapter 2

The World Food Programme and artist Joshua Dysart have teamed up to create a graphic novel highlighting the work of the organization's humanitarian aid workers and those they strive to help.

The comic, titled "Living Level 3," for the most severe classification of humanitarian crisis, tells the story of a fictional humanitarian aid worker, Leila, on an aid mission after the self-described Islamic State brutally seized territory there in 2014.

Read the second chapter of the novel below. We'll release another chapter in the story each day.

Joshua Dysart

New York Times bestselling author Joshua Dysart has contributed to some of the most acclaimed comic book series and projects of the past decade, including "B.P.R.D.", "Hellboy", "Swamp Thing" and "Neil Young's Greendale". From 2008 to 2010 Dysart authored a two-year run on Vertigo's "Unknown Soldier". Dysart spent a month in Acholiland, Uganda during the LRA/UPDF ceasefire of 2007 to research the work. Since 2012 he has been one of the key creators in the relaunch of Valiant comics. In December 2014 he went to Iraqi Kurdistan to interview refugees fleeing ISIS for his one-shot comic, "Living Level-3: Iraq".

Neil Strauss on the Truth, Monogamy and Relationships

In The Truth, author Neil Strauss asks: Is it natural to be faithful to one person for life?

The book details his journey away from his monogamous relationship, and into a world of cheating, orgies, and sex addiction clinics. Neil begins, "As such, it requires sharing a lot of things I'm not proud of -- and a few things I feel like I should regret a whole lot more than I actually do. Because, unfortunately, I am not the hero in this tale. I am the villain."

What he discovers along the way is the agony, and the joyful freedom of living a life in which he is 100% truthful with everyone he meets: the girlfriends in his open relationship, his mother, and himself.

When you started writing The Truth, did you know it would be about marriage and monogamy?

Yeah, I don't write with an agenda or a place that I'm going to. I might have an idea, but I'm always willing to discard that idea. It was the same when I was doing journalism and interviews... Read More

Chris Castiglione

Chris Castiglione is the co-founder of One Month (an online school for entrepreneurs), and the host of the On Books podcast. He has taught at Columbia University and has written for Entreprenuer.com, Crawdaddy Magazine, and Thought Catalog. Read more from Chris on his blog @ www.castig.org.

Why Everyone Has Time To Write

Many of the students I meet at writers' conferences complain that they don't have enough time to write. These men and women have full-time jobs, marriages, children, hobbies, parties to attend and favorite television shows to follow. How in an already full life are they expected find one or two hours a day to write a book?

It's a good question, and the simple, honest, but ultimately unhelpful answer is this: every writer who has ever written a book has had a full life within which that book was written. If you need "more time," get up an hour earlier every day. That's what a lot of writers do. Or they go to bed an hour later. But usually they get up earlier. There. Problem solved.

Except this really solves nothing, just as telling a smoker to simply stop smoking solves nothing. The question most writers are really asking isn't, "How do I find time to write?" but, "Is writing a waste of time?" Going to college probably didn't feel like a waste of time because it would, in theory, lead to a career. And going to work probably doesn't feel like a waste of time because it provides an income and a social network and a bit of an identity. Even crashing in front of the TV... Read More

William Kenower

William Kenower is the author of Write Within Yourself: An Author’s Companion, the Editor-in-Chief of Author magazine, and a sought-after speaker and teacher. His video interviews with hundreds of writers from Nora Ephron, to Amy Tan, to William Gibson are widely considered the best of their kind on the Internet. He also hosts the online radio program Author2Author where every week he and a different guest discuss the books we write and the lives we lead.